When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

In fact, it would be fair to say they've struggled for direction ever since Sir Alex Ferguson hung up his hairdryer.

Yes Wayne Rooney was named captain, yes Michael Carrick stayed with the club to become a coach and yes Louis van Gaal introduced his strict regime. But no one has held the dressing room in the same way Ferguson or Roy Keane could.

No one, except for maybe Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish striker's impact on United was such that they won the League Cup and Europa League in the same season. And that was the last time United won anything at all.

Related Articles

Read More

Related Articles

"So I think he got the best out of everyone when he was there, as in training-wise, because people couldn’t sort of [slack] off kind of because if you’re on his team and you lose, you’re dead.

"And honestly you can ask anyone in the team, that was the situation. But I think everyone loved him and it was just disappointing that he got that bad injury."

Since his departure other characters have taken over the dressing room - namely Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. Their jokey and Instagram antics have done little to win over fans and have set a dangerous precedent for fellow team-mates.

Could you imagine them acting that way under Roy Keane? They wouldn't have under Ibrahimovic either.

Shaw, whether he knows it or not, has identified the exact thing United have been missing of late.

Solskjaer has gone a long way to repairing the damage but he could do with some extra help from the players.

Today's top football stories on Daily Star

Harry Maguire looks to be a solid acquisition and a sensible player while Bruno Fernandes has had quite the impact since arriving in January.

And Shaw has revealed how he's already changing attitudes.

"He's been amazing for us," explained Shaw. "The maddest thing is he hasn't actually been there that long but what he's brought in and the quality he has – of course on the pitch – but inside the dressing room as well. He's a leader for us too."

United have missed leadership, but if Fernandes can get a hold of the dressing room in the same way Ibrahimovic did then the tide will slowly turn.